I went to thins last year and it rocked!!! I don't know if I'll be going along again this year…read morethough. .

LONDON FESTIVAL OF JAPANESE ROPE BONDAGE 2009…read more REVIEW By David Kudish of http://www.kudish.com On a Thursday night in an unpromising-looking corner of the East End, a door was about to be opened into an entirely different world. The Resistance Gallery was hosting the inaugural London Festival of Japanese Rope Bondage and providing the opportunity to witness an art form widely famed for its intertwining of the sacred and profane but often only seen by those already in the know. The gallery is a modern, utilitarian space which had been dressed for the four days of the event as a temple to rope and oriental-influenced erotic art. Welcomed in by an immaculately-dressed geisha, a winding red cloth led into the main space, walls hung with a variety of photographs, prints and ceramics and a large stage, impressively framed in sturdy-looking bamboo, bedecked with intriguing-looking clips and rings. The first evening was dedicated to a drawing and photography session, led by well-known British expert Nawashi Murakawa, responsible for the ropes and red drapery which transformed the gallery. For some of the audience, this was their first live experience of Kinbaku and their intense concentration, as two models were tied together with a series of complex, beautiful knots to the sounds of live Japanese music was almost as fascinating as the display itself. This gentle introduction could not have been a greater contrast to the energetic, diverse evening which followed. The official opening of the art exhibition drew a full house, made up not just of old hands from the kink and fetish scene but complete newcomers, drawn by the festival's coverage in London's papers. Pleasingly, it was soon hard to tell who was who as the friendly crowd mixed and took in the artwork on offer. A video installation by Manuel Vason and renowned British performer and tutor Esinem showed a loop of a bound, suspended model being sprayed with a changing sequence of colours, providing a hypnotic counterpoint to the static pieces around the walls. A variety of styles were represented from the rare and still quite shocking antique Yoshitoshi print The Lonely House on Adachi Moor to the appealing, modern comic style of Ben Newman. Ceramics by Mark Boyce were drawing much attention, their apparently abstract repeated patterns revealing themselves to be clearly erotic images upon deeper inspection. This night set the tone for the rest of the weekend, with a continuing series of performances on the main stage which showcased every aspect of Kinbaku. Models, including the occasional man, were brought from a state of freedom and mobility to complete suspension, hanging from the bamboo frame with rope being used not simply to bind but to decorate, lead and, where necessary, control. It was constantly impressive to observe how a seemingly extreme and painful situation for the models, limbs held in a tight pattern of fibre, resulted in expressions of peaceful contentment on their faces, a fact which clearly reassured some of the newcomers in the crowd. Of course, some models, such as Jess, being tied by her partner Mark, from BeShibari in Belgium, were more feisty and with great humour demonstrated how rope does not always have to be about quiet submission. Saturday was time for learning. Attendees, clearly inspired by the previous two nights, eagerly picked up tricks and techniques from the tutors on hand. Looking about the gallery, the bar staff seemed to be the only people not actually tying or being tied; which was a good thing, given the numbers who came later for the party and filled the place to the rafters, with plenty of rope-work continuing into the night. Sunday saw more workshops and an evening of Japanese art bondage movies, bringing the weekend to a close. Gallery owner Garry Vanderhorne and co-organisers Esinem and Nawashi Murakawa looked exhausted but happy after their four-day marathon and were overheard already cooking up plans for 2010's festival. Judging by the response of this year's crowd, it'll be a sell-out.

Whirl-y-Gig is an old skool styled night of such pure raving heavenliness I almost wept with joy…read more It is so rare to be in a nightlife environment in this city where people refer to each other as being part of a community. Whirl-y-Gig is without doubt, the friendliest, most happy group of ravers I have ever been part of in London. The age mix is a bizarre range of 16-70yr old's, all there for the same thing, to wear bright tribal clothing, party to the early hours and be happy. Boy were people happy! The music is hard and bass-ccentric which is great for that vibrational buzz. The décor has an ethereal feel, resplendent with projections, drapes and black lights, enabling the vibrant neon everyone was wearing to glow. In the chill out room, there is a stall selling CD's and clothing, a fresh food stall selling tea, coffee, toast and all manner of goodness. Of course there is a bar with booze and a remarkably talented face painter to give you that warrior look. I honestly struggle to relay just how fun Whirl-y-Gig is. The night starts slow, but as the clock strikes twelve the atmosphere escalates to hedonistic levels. If you've the stamina, you want to make it to 5am for the legendary 'Parachute.' Oh joy! If you've ever heard yourself say, "Clubbing isn't what it used to be," do yourself a favour and give Whirly a try. The good ol' days are back!

Whirl-y-gig has it all up their proverbial sleeve…read more Soft curves created by swathes of fabric adorn the walls, incense corkscrews through the air and 60's light installations keep the eyes occupied. Whirly is out of the ordinary, insanely uplifting and great to escape to in an otherwise unforgiving city. Tribal tunes, drum & bass and hard house music beat through the space, keeping everyone bouncing until the early hours of the morning. Whirl-y-gig truly draws a mixed crowd, all ages, shapes and sizes don tribal inspired and brightly coloured gear, prepared for black lights and experiencing the vibe. The nicest thing about the night was being constantly welcomed to my first whirly, a true community of people who look forward to a night sharing drinking, dance and even drumming. Like nothing I've ever experienced, I look forward to becoming a regular patron of Whirl-y-gigs out of this world events, truly a night to remember.

As I was relating to a colleague who also attended the event earlier in the day compared to when I…read morewent... my general opinion about the whole bit was along the lines of 'Delightful food. Meh wine.' I'm not a massive wino to begin with, so take the following words with a whole shaker of salt: Rioja wine doesn't really taste like anything to me. Honestly. Perhaps it's too subtle for a palate as unrefined as mine, but try as I might with two different glasses of wine, I got hints of flavour and that's about it. On the upside, the Spanish cuisine was absolutely worth queueing to get into the park, and then queueing again (multiple times) to get at the grub. I was glad to secure two massive steaming bowls of paella to share. Both the chicken and chorizo paella and seafood paella were £6 each - a totally affordable price considering the huge volume. And there was absolutely no skimping on protein in either dish. Similarly, it was an even longer wait to get at the goods at the station serving jamón serrano and cheese plates, but the goods delivered! And I'm pretty sure that prices for takeaway bottles of wine from each stand were more aggressive than what you'd find at your local offie. The one stall I decided to get some goods for the Trojan Horse show just around the corner immediately after the festival was running a special for one bottle for £8 and two bottles of £10. I think I'm genetically wired to be incapable of turning down a good deal. Needless to say, I did -not- leave with just one bottle. And they came neatly packaged in a wine bottle carrier tote, too! In all, a quite successful haul. Though I ended up spending a lot more than I expected, it wasn't any more than what a meal at a middle-of-the-road restaurant would have cost. Plus, it was a grand day to be outside by the river, toasting with a glass of mediocre but drinkable wine!

I enjoy both fermented grapes and dry-cured pig immensely…read more So a Spanish food and wine festival just moments outside my flat overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge was always going to be a winner in my book. The sun even came out while I was there, so blazing its long-missed rays were that I made my husband go back to the flat to get my sunglasses. Granted, as soon as he returned some rather foreboding clouds had come rolling in, but those 10 minutes I spent last Sunday standing under the shade of a tree and listening to a Spanish band, drinking rioja and eating chorizo were glorious.

If you are cursing because you are in London on the wrong days to visit Brick Lane for the market,…read morethen don't despair, there's still reason to visit. Brick Lane and the surrounding streets are a hot spot for graffiti/street art. Every major name is likely to be represented, though you never know what you will find. Some last for ages, some get washed off or over-written, but there's always something new coming up. It's not just the lane itself: wander down some of the side streets. The smaller alleys are also worth exploring, but be aware that they may be smelly! You'll also find that many of the Indian restaurants etc are open during the week. Of course, it's easier to get a good look at the art and maybe take some photos when the streets aren't full of Sunday crowds. Please look at the photos: these are only a small fraction of what can be seen. There's actually some pretty major stuff I didn't get pics of as dusk was setting in.

If you have time, swing by Brick Lane for some hipster experiences.read more

Love box Festival isn't just a music festival, It's much more than that…read more It's an escape with all it's beery, sweaty glory. In the midsummer Victoria Park played host to a crowd of beery, sweaty, joyous, feeling the love group of people, coming to take in hours upon hours of great music performed live by some of the greatest artists and DJ''s around. A sweltering dustbowl of Victoria park was full of vivid colours, four stage, fun fair, food Stalls, merchandise. As we groove to the first tent heavy dancing and beats session was to tantalising to miss. Once that was finished, we tucked into a delicious Ostrich burger. Then stroll toward the fairground rides and after recovering from the rides and my organs had settled down from the ordeal we dancing our way into another tent where we bump into random people and started up a dancing frenzy and left.... hehehe....! Bopped over to the Main Stage in between, were Alunageogre D,anglo and Plan. B performed. Overall magnificent.

Pretty decent weekend offering in surprisingly lovely surroundings of Victoria Park, Hackney, East…read moreLondon. It pretty easy to get here (if you know the way from the station!!), just 20 minutes from Camden Road on the overground service, and only 1 pound! We had lots of fun on Saturday watching Manu Chao, Groove Armada, Lethal Bizzle, and possible Wiley! Can't give it 5 stars because of the really stupidly long bar queues, but the rest of the setup is pretty pleasant, and the atmosphere is chilled, no trouble at all.

This is quirky and totally fantastic! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by a very leggy…read morelady who gave us a tour of the place, from the motel area to the laundry to the office... It was a tour not to forget.. Highlights were both Alex and Nicola being dressed up in the laundry with some very fetching lace underwear and the entertainment show which was spellbounding. The show, which we got front row seats (or rather front row lying space on a mattress) was captivating... It consisted of two ladies; one who tied the other girl, with such precision in various positions.. It was like a lesson in acrobatics, the positions that was created with rope were incredible! A total combination of sexy and gymnastics.. Wow! Drinks wise, I tried the pink panther, which was a Ceekay strawberry alcohol concotion, which was ever bit as dreamy as it sounds. Yum! I also had some prosecco which I paid for with a gold coin, that so reminded me of the chocolate coins you get a Christmas! This place is definitely an experience and so if you're looking for a night out with interesting characters and themed rooms with a twist, this is your place!

Surreal! Where else could you find in the back streets of Hackney a short walk from a synagogue an…read moreimmersive erotic experience? I kept questioning to myself will this be anything like torture gardens which I've not experienced as yet or will this be a hype to nothing. Rest assured it was an entertaining and fun experience with many characters popping out at you telling you a story or an experience. Look out for the washroom and be ready to try some lingerie on odd places of your body. The book room you're questioned about your knowledge on philosophy, with many philosophers mentioned, but you end up reciting some Geordie philosophy. Ushered by Jackie, who is fun, quirky and darn right eccentric, takes you into a room where much erotic acts are happening. I won't spoil the surprise by telling you anymore. The drinks were good and a chip will get you a drink in the main bar area, but if you're after the pink panther drink where guys are playing instruments, then you'll have to pay up. Once checked in the motel you're then in the dance room to have a quick dance and to socialise. I very much enjoyed the moves from the lady in the skates and had a quick boogie with the stuffed bear. Lastly, the show was fun, with ropes and lots elevating moves and poses. Sorry ladies there are no men performing. Save yourself a bob and don't get the bagels... Too expensive for what they are and leave no lasting impression. Stay around for a dance, a few more drinks or try swinging in a drunken state on the rope. Lots of fun guaranteed and bring cash!

Dear Foodies Festival…read more When I am running a round London on a Saturday to get to you please can you put up some signs so I can blooming well find you! You lose a star for this! Maybe it's harsh but I think there a few little things you could do better that would turn this from a very good event to a fricking amazing one. This is London, expectations are high my friends, very high. The producers!! You rocked it. Awesome British produce all around with lots of interesting international bits and pieces too. Wine...cheese...meat...toffee vodka....COOP with their prosecco and toastie for £3.50, also ended up being videoed by them for I'm guessing a focus group. My fav Canon and Canon, they do such amazing charcuterie. Scottish venison salami....erm yes!! Low point, possibly the organisation around getting tickets for shows. Was a little all over the place compared to similar type shows. All in all an amazing day and was so lucky to get Yelp VIP tickets, the free glass of fizz set me and my mate Dan up for an awesome afternoon! Thank you Beth, Yelp and the awesome people at Foodies. Love, Jd

Lovely people, lovely food and a fantastic atmosphere. This event was an absolute dream!…read more We arrived at 2:30pm and were directed straight to the VIP area where we received our wristbands and an introduction to the event. Sadly the majority of the shows/sessions (in particular the drink tasting sessions) had been fully booked but there was so much going on that we really didn't mind. We began on the second floor which was filled with a variety of stalls including gluten free chocolate and brownies, salmon, curry paste, vodka and more. A personal favourite for me was The Brownie Bar where I bought a corker (see pictures) - I am still yet to finish it as it's so rich and delicious I'm choosing to savour every last chocolate chip mouthful! We then continued onto the drinks section - this floor was rather random as it had stalls serving anything from coconut filled cocktails to Costco discounted knives. I was also reunited with the lovely Ross, from Gosnells Mead - he kindly gave us a large cup of mead each which went down a treat! There was also entertainment on this floor provided by 3 fantastic retro singers. They sang a variety of songs including everyone's favourite 'All I want for Christmas' - everyone in the area was singing along and having a little boogie - the atmosphere was just brilliant. Finally we went into the hot food area and I got chatting to a lovely lady on the Madame Louise stand. She gave us a free sample of their truffle honey and my oh my was it delicious! I took her card and will definitely be ordering a few jars for Christmas. All in all an excellent time was had and we finished with our complimentary glass of bubbles and a good bag! What more could you want from a Saturday day trip out! I will definitely be going along to their next festival in summer!

While in London we wanted to check out a show, since we were a mixed group - we decided on a…read moreacrobatic dance show. This place is free to enter, but the tickets for the shows are extra. The show was very fun, but what I didn't expect is how cool this place was. It's like a beer garden with several different booths offering sweets, cocktails, beer and food. We found a lovely picnic table under a large tree, relaxed and enjoyed a couple cocktails before the show. People were everywhere sitting on the fake lawns, packed to tables and all having a pretty good time. They also had pretty decent restrooms for an event venue that is open to the public. Pretty fun for all ages and a nice place to relax while chilling on the South Bank.

If I had kids and wanted to take them somewhere in London that I could enjoy as well - Udderbelly…read morewould probably be that place! There's a decent range of beers to choose from at standard London prices, plenty of places to sit - both covered and uncovered for that 1 hour of sunshine, and plenty of activities going on (some ticketed) to entertain the masses! Something for everyone really!